Septem Peccata Mortalia (Seven Deadly Sins), by Christine Alexiou, Unionville, Ontario, Canada

Another of my favorite categories, I seem to be drawn to art quilts.  I viewed and photographed these quilts before the awards ceremony when they were hanging together in the same section.

Septem Peccata Mortalia, by Christine Alexiou, won the World of Beauty Award, and a $7,500 cash prize.  On opening night of Festival, Christine was standing by her masterpiece and turning the pages of the oversized book.  Yes, there are several pages, at least seven, each of which is incredible in its own right.  Christine wrote this about her quilt, “Although inspired by illuminated manuscripts, the them tackles how little human nanture has changed since these manuscripts were first created.  I wanted to explore how these seven failings speak to something intrinsically linked to human nature; why we are, in all our seeming morality, still guilty of these sins”.

Zen Magpies by Helen Godden, Latham, Canberra, ACT, Australia

In Zen Magpies, an Honorable Award winner in the category, Helen Godden writes, “What is black and white and quilted all over?  Painted on silk sateen, the magpies sing their song with such joy and freedom.  They are surrounded by extreme quilted doodle-mania, an explosion of decorative free-motion fun.  With over 100 different designs, the quilter has found her Zen!”

Xcaret Orchid Blossoms II, by Andrea Brokenshire, Round Rock, TX

“This is the second quilt in a series based on my photography taken during a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.  My favorite thing about the quilt is how the light is captured.” wrote Andrea Brokenshire about her quilt.  Although not an award winner, this is a masterful quilt.

With so many exceptional quilts in the IQA show, just being accepted is an honor.

Carousel Stampede by Cathy Wiggins, Macon, NC

Cathy Wiggins wrote, “When I was young, which horse to ride on the carousel was always a big decision.  I would run as fast as I could to get the horse of my choice.  Which of these beautiful horses would you ride?  Beginning with white muslin, I painted the background and horses using textile mediums and oil sticks.  There are about 300 hours of painting, 250 hours of quilting, and 40+ hours to apply the crystals”.

Mark’s Magnificent Marlin, Murphy by Helen Godden, Latham, Canberra ACT, Australia

Helen wrote, “The mighty marlin twists and turns and bursts from the deep ocean waves.  Created for my dear friend, Mark Hyland, celebrating his joy of deep sea fishing.  Hand painted with Lumiere Acrylic fabrics paint on black whole cloth, free-motion machine quilted.”

Winter’s Veil by Patt Blair Mt Baldy, CA

Winter’s Veil particularly captured my attention as it is an exquisite representation of a songbird during the harsh days of winter.  Patt Blair wrote, “I live in the mountains where winter cold hangs over the landscape for so very long and is represented here by this Snow Bunting standing trapped in nature’s harsh surroundings.  Pigment ink painting, free-motion quilting.”

Winter’s Veil won First Place in this category!  Amazing quilts by some very talented quilters.

Stay tuned . .  .